Application A360 - Use of Industrial Hemp as a novel food
FINAL ASSESSMENT REPORT [ INQUIRY - s.17 ]
EXECUTIVE SUMMARY
An Application was received on 16 July 1998 from Ecofibre Industries Association of Australia to permit the use of products from low delta 9-tetrahydrocannabinol (THC)Cannabis spp. such as hempseed and hempseed oil as food. The Food Standards Code currently lists Cannabis spp. as a prohibited botanical. There is, therefore, currently no permission to sell as food, or in food, any of the varieties of Cannabis sativa or any part of this species in food in Australia. In New Zealand, there are no food regulations specifically related toCannabis spp.
Cannabis sativa is well known as the source of the pharmacologically-active substance,delta9-tetrahydrocannabinol (THC). Hemp or ' industrial' hemp, while a Cannabis species, is a low THC variety and is not considered to have any psychoactive properties. THC is produced in specialised glands found only on the leaf surface of the Cannabis plant. The main food source, the seed, while containing no THC, is wrapped in specialised leaves called the calyx that do produce THC and cause some contamination of the outside of the seed coat.
The rationale for seeking to market hemp foods in Australia and New Zealand is largely based on the favourable nutrient profile of hempseed/hempseed oil. Hempseeds are an excellent source of unsaturated fatty acids and an additional source of essential fatty acids. The foods currently being made internationally with hempseed and hempseed oil include health bars, salad oils, non-soy tofu, non-dairy cheeses, non-dairy milks, additives to breads, biscuits and cakes, butter pastes, as well as whole seed, raw or roasted.
THC is associated with effects on the central nervous system, the immune system, reproduction, and post-natal development, as well as with psychotropic effects. In relation to the latter, the studies available indicate the more sensitive individuals require a minimum oral dose of 10 mg THC per person and most individuals require an oral dose of 15-20 mg per person in order to experience an effect. Thus, the lowest psychotropic effect level is in the order of 140 microgram /kg bw (body weight).
The most sensitive adverse effects observed in humans seem to be related to skill performance (standing steadiness, hand-eye coordination, reaction time, numbers test) following oral administration. In a study involving young adults, slight but reversible effects were seen at the lowest dose level of 5 mg/person (equivalent to 60 micro gram /kg bw in this study). There were no psychotropic effects observed at this dose level. In order to take account of the possible variability in response in the human population, an uncertainty factor of 10 was applied to this lowest-observable-effect level (LOEL) in o